The march of time catches up with all of us eventually and many people eventually need glasses either for short or long sightedness. Government AIHW statistics from 2015 show that over 50% of the Australian population had at least one long term eye condition and about half wear glasses or contact lenses. In my case, I ‘upgraded’ to reading glasses about 6 years ago. But cycling isn’t reading… far from it, so why would prescription cycling glasses be beneficial to the average rider? In this article you will find out how they changed my riding experience, and how they may change yours!
20/20 Vision
The increase of raw computing power in cycling GPS computers have given cyclists more data fields, graphical power diagnostics and incredibly powerful navigation tools. The data rich, but very compact screens can make it challenging to clearly take-in the data at a glance. Six years ago I took the plunge to get reading glasses to allow me to read the finer print of books and newspapers. In the following years, the prescriptions have been gradually getting stronger. However it is still mild and my long distance vision is still pretty good.
Lately, I noticed the clarity of the route directions in the ‘turn-by-turn’ feature on my Wahoo Bolt unit had deteriorated to the point where I could just see the direction arrows, the street names and other text were blurred. In low light, the poorer contrast made the instructions next to useless. Whilst I could still managed to find my route, I found that I spent more time than was ideal with my eyes diverted from road to focus on the GPS unit. Not ideal and not safe. So, are prescription lenses the answer ?
Determining the Prescription
Before I get into greater detail on the result of prescription lenses for my riding, let me share a little about the process and tests required to determine the required prescription which ultimately get you your own custom set of glasses. It’s a pretty simple process really, it doesn’t take much time and I will stress, it is painless.
For me it begins with selecting the frames I want to wear… there are lots to choose from and you should draw on your own preferences and experiences. There’s no more room for Bunnings safety glasses nor for massive full-faced, wrap-around lenses. While you will still find a multitude of sport frames, the lenses have to be cut to fit the frame which narrows the amount of variation, but the flipside is usually brilliant clarity
After the optometrist gathers personal data, a series of ‘eye health’ tests follow and these range from capturing internal images of the eye with key measurements to the ‘air puff test’ where a slight puff of air is directed at the pupil to test internal pressure, intraocular pressure and deliver early warning of glaucoma. I never fail to give an involuntary blink during the puff test no matter how hard I try! The result is an image (below) which your optometrist can decipher.
The initial eye health tests are completed in about 10 minutes and then you move onto specific eye tests to determine current vision issues and your prescription. This takes a further 10 minutes and a skilled optometrist will confirm how you want to use the glasses. This is where some of the details about cycling are important. Specifically, the distance to the object I’m ‘reading’ (i.e. the cycle computer) as well as the angle that I am reading the data. This strength of the prescription and the angle/distance measurements determine the focal areas and how the lenses need to be constructed. Once this has been done, it’s time to wait and receive the call from your local optometrist.
Clarity beyond belief !
In my case, I received the call from my local SpecSavers who were fitting the Jeff Banks Sun RX07 Sports Cycling Glasses which I reviewed recently on Bicycles Network Australia.
I sauntered down to the store with my Wahoo Bolt fired up and ready to check out the vision improvements. There is a short period of glasses adjustments to ensure the frames sit properly on your face and the multi-focal areas are in the right sight lines. With the new glasses, the clarity of the data was impressive. Now I could clearly see all of the text labels even including on the summary screen of the cycle computer with 12 individual data fields packed into the small screen.
My cycling prescription glasses were specified with a minor magnification for forward vision and full-strength for the near-distance cycle computer vision. Due to the frame size and my facial features (broken nose bridge from many years ago) it meant that I had to settle for tinted lenses rather than polarised.
In the following image it shows that the Left/Right measurements from centre are different by 5.2mm (35.9 v 30.7mm) along with variation in the vertical height. Some of the variation can be corrected by adjusting the nose pieces (in the review of the Jeff Banks glasses, this adjustment was highlighted as a feature). After some very detailed attention from the SpecSavers staff, the glasses fitted brilliantly and I was ready for the first ride. The staff reminded me of the adjustment period that is expected when wearing multifocal lenses compared to single vision lenses that I normally wear for reading.
Adjustment period and more than just data clarity
It indeed takes a few rides with moments to consciously realise how the ‘focus’ changes depending on where you look through the lens, and I’ll be honest, it was slightly disorienting. But it was still a small learning curve and the visual clarity was always an immediate reward.
For the first time in some years, I was able to clearly distinguish the road names in the distances with a quick glance rather than long stares and squinting. Subtle changes in road condition, washouts and small obstacles were identified easily and earlier. This was a bonus for riding some of the rockier and more technical single tracks in the Adelaide Hills. Not only does the multifocal prescription make orientation quick as a flash, there is a significant improvement in safety. I can rely on quick glances and can gather and comprehend the visual data without losing focus. Both the long distance and short distance clarity, particularly for details onscreen data felt like a real asset for my riding.
I while ago I was eyeing off the new Wahoo Element Roam cycling computer due to the larger screen size. Now I don’t need this new toy because the prescription lenses have made the world of difference.
Prognosis, the route ahead is clear and in focus
It took a while to finally take the plunge and use the multi-focal lenses for riding, but it wasn’t long before I felt fully at ease with them. Now won’t ride anywhere without them. Clarity is not only having the right focus, but the quality of the lens. I spoke with Professor Colin Hall, Industry Associate of the Future Industries Institute (UniSA) who stress that high quality lens coatings and tint are just as essential for optimal vision.
The investment in quality prescription lenses such as the Jeff Banks frames is not cheap, but I would call it reasonable. The brand of frame along with the prescription, brand and treatment of the lens can all affect the price. Bike riders benefit from tinted lenses such as photochromic lenses so the premium for these can pay-off. The cost of the glasses can be offset by Health insurance rebates if you have the appropriate coverage in your health plan.
A nice way to make your upgrade to prescription cycling glasses more affordable is to forget the newer, large GPS cycle computer, with the money used instead for a good set of lenses… you will be able to see your current cycle computer again and benefit from better road vision.
Save the upgrade to a new and larger GPS by investing in some good lenses, and improve the road vision at the same time.
Now it is time to hand over to Johnny Nash to see what he is singing about.
